Annan Urges U.N. Action In Darfur

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday to immediately address the escalating atrocities in Darfur by sending an independent team of investigators to the volatile Sudanese region.

"It is urgent that we take action to prevent further violations, including by bringing to account those responsible for the numerous crimes that have already been committed," Annan said in a recorded address to open the 47-nation council's emergency session on Darfur.

"Kofi Annan has worked hard for several years to get world attention focused on Darfur and he is trying to make progess on a human rights mission before his tenure ends," says CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk. "The Secretary General has less than three weeks to try to make something significant happen to prevent escalating human rights abuses in Darfur. In January, it will take a while to get all the new diplomats to focus on the issue, including a new U.S. Ambassador and a new Secretary General."

The Secretary-General's remarks came as U.S. government report says humanitarian aid to Darfur continues to be hampered by a lack of security in the region, restrictions by the Sudanese government and delays in international aid funds.

The Government Accountability Office, the research arm of Congress, determined in its report, released Monday, that the nearly $1 billion in U.S. aid and efforts by the international community have helped improve the dire situation. In 2004 and 2005, malnutrition and mortality rates dropped.

But non-governmental organizations and the U.N. still face serious problems in aiding the nearly 4 million people who require assistance, including frequent attacks on aid convoys, the report states.

Since 2003, Darfur, the western region of Sudan, has been embroiled in war between armed militias and the government. The conflict is deemed one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.

A U.N. official said Monday that African Union peacekeepers killed three Darfur refugees during a demonstration, the first civilian deaths at the hands of the force and a sign of further deterioration in the conflict.

The refugees were protesting Sunday at the peacekeepers' base in El Geneina, a town near Sudan's border with Chad. The demonstrators were relatives of 30 civilians who were executed by pro-government janjaweed fighters Saturday and they were protesting against what they say is the peacekeepers' failure to protect them.

A U.N. official said the peacekeepers opened fire on the protesters when they threatened the base.

The Sudanese government has refused to allow a U.N. peacekeeping force in the region, as well as restricted access by non-governmental organizations to certain areas.

According to GAO, the Sudanese government's restrictions and delays or cuts in international funds have hurt humanitarian efforts.

To improve the security situation, GAO recommended the State Department press the African Union to allow for a NATO-led review of its security operations in Darfur. According to the report, NATO's offer to conduct such an assessment was accepted last summer but no actions have been taken.

"The fact that the violence in Darfur has not abated, and has even worsened in some instances, indicates the regions need for continued assistance," the report states.

A separate report released by GAO urged the State Department to release more data on its death count in Darfur.

The State Department reported that some 98,000 to 181,000 people died from the conflict in less than two years, between March 2003 and January 2005.

Independent researchers have estimated the death count as much higher — as much as 400,000 deaths in the two-and-a-half years between February 2003 and August 2005. In addition, tens of thousands of people have become displaced or fled to neighboring Chad.

GAO also concluded that the State Department should encourage the African Union to ask an independent group such as NATO for assistance.

According to both reports, the State Department agreed in general with the studies and their recommendations.